As a proud owner of a vehicle, you are required to carry a few documents that prove that the vehicle belongs to you.
One such document that is mandatory to be carried when driving on Indian roads is the registration certificate. RC is as important as a driving license is. In case your vehicle’s registration certificate is lost, stolen or damaged, then read on to know the process of applying for duplicate RC online and offline.
What is a registration certificate?
Registration certificate is a certificate issued by the Regional Transport Office; it is a proof that your vehicle is legally registered by the RTO. The certificate is valid for a period of 15 years and contains the following details.
- Name and address of the vehicle owner
- Vehicle registration number and registration date
- Vehicle class
- Month and year of vehicle manufacture
- Fuel type of the vehicle
- Chassis and engine number of the vehicle
- Cubic capacity of the vehicle
- Dry weight or unladen weight
- Registration and expiry date of the vehicle
What is a duplicate registration certificate (RC Copy)?
Duplicate registration certificate is a copy of the original registration certificate provided to the vehicle owner whose original registration certificate is stolen, lost or damaged. Duplicate RC can be availed by applying for the same at the RTO. To get a duplicate RC copy, a police complaint has to be filed at the nearest police station.
Application process for availing duplicate RC online
- Visit the official website Parivaha Sewa Portal and select the state and the nearest RTO office
- Enter vehicle registration number and click on proceed
- The screen will display the details of your vehicle
- On the next screen, click on ‘duplicate registration certificate’ from among several service options available
- Enter the last 5 digits of your vehicle’s chassis number and proceed
- Fill the form with the required details
- Upload necessary documents and click on submit
- Proceed by making the payment and click on ‘print out’ to print the acknowledgement and application form
Application process for availing duplicate RC offline
To get duplicate registration certificate offline, visit the nearest office from where the original RC of the vehicle was generated and do the following
- Collect form no. 26A
- Fill the form
- Attach the required documents
- You will be assigned a date of vehicle verification and chassis number
Documents required to get duplicate RC
- Police certificate
- Form 26A
- PUC certificate
- Identity and address proof
- PAN card, Form 60 and Form 61
- Signature identification of the owner
- Documents such as tax clearance certificate and clearance challan from Enforcement Traffic Wing
- Printed copy of the engine chassis and pencil
- Affidavit stating the loss of original RC
The duplicate copy of the RC is issued within 15-30 days from the date of submission. By following the above steps, you can easily get a copy of your vehicle’s duplicate RC, without taking any help from a third party or any agent.
Conclusion
As per Indian Motor Vehicles Act, every bike owner is required to keep a copy of the RC handy when riding on Indian roads along with other necessary documents like driving license, PUC, insurance certificate, etc. Riding a bike without RC copy is not legal and can attract fines of up to Rs. 5000- Rs. 10,000.
Also Read: Understanding grace period in two wheeler insurance
